


A Crown And A Swan

by waknatious



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, Swan Queen - Freeform, Swan Queen Advent Calendar 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Swan Queen Christmas, like toothache inducing fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27869506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waknatious/pseuds/waknatious
Summary: Regina laughed low in her throat quietly, and Emma felt like she was about to sprout some raggedy wings or something as the goosebumps spread furiously across her shoulder blades. The phone beeped in her ear as Regina hung up without another word. As Emma brought her hand down to slip the thing into her coat pocket, she heard the revving of a car’s engine outside and looked up just in time to see a certain black Mercedes pulling off down the street.Okay, stalker much?“Wow, dude,” said Ruby, looking her up and down. “If you release any more pheromones into this room I’m either going to start sneezing or jump your bones.”
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 114
Kudos: 124
Collections: Swan Queen Advent Calendar Collection 2





	1. The Nose Knows

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Advent and Merry Christmas again, all my little Swenling Elves!!  
> I'm so happy I was able to do this again this year. Favorite Season + Favorite Ship ❄️❄️❄️❄️
> 
> This is far and away the longest thing I've ever written (at about 14k it's triple) and I'm just amazed at it personally. Yeah a lot of people write this and more in their sleep, but I don't. Some would call this a "long one-shot" but I've never uploaded multiple chapters before, and I wanna, so indulge me please??  
> You'll see that certain parts of it work better that way.  
> Just trust me...  
> Enjoy!!!  
> xxoo,  
> W

“Um, sure Regina.”

“‘Um, sure’, Miss Swan? That’s the level of engagement you’ll offer for a Christmas morning invitation? Eloquent, as ever.”

“Well honestly, _Madame Mayor_ , my head’s swimming a little now, so…” said Emma. And she was definitely feeling lightheaded as her brain tried to process an honest-to-god invitation to spend Christmas morning with her son and his other mother at Mifflin. In the past they’d always traded holidays, and in the case of Christmas, Henry spent Christmas Eve and morning with Regina, and the rest of Christmas Day with Emma and his grandparents.

“Hmm, yes, I can hear some circuits crackling in your brain over the phone,” said Regina with a chuckle. “Don’t let them ‘swim’, as you say… you’ll electrocute yourself, dear.”

“That’s what I like about you R’gina, you’re always _soooo_ funny,” Emma drawled.

“And I’m so flattered by your praise, Miss Swan. Thank you.”

“Stop.”

“Stop?”

“Stop calling me ‘Miss Swan,’ Regina. It’s Emma. My name’s Emma.”

“Very well, _Emmma_ ,” she replied, and a shiver cascaded down Emma’s spine at the way the woman’s voice dropped in register when she said it. “I understand that you usually have your own Christmas morning plans, but Henry and I would appreciate it if you could join us this year. Around seven?”

“Seven.”

“Yes, seven.”

“ _A.M.???_ ” asked Emma, running her non-phone hand into her hair and grabbing a fistful.

Regina chuckled again, and _oh look another cascading shiver_ , which joined the first one and started to pool someplace else. “Yes. Henry is usually up well before six, and bouncing like a caffeinated kangaroo in front of the tree. We each open one small present and then I start breakfast, which will be ready by seven.”

“Breakfast too? You want me to eat with you guys?”

Regina’s sigh was clearly audible over the phone. “Emma.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you intentionally trying to make this difficult?” Regina asked, sounding not annoyed but, perplexed? “If you would rather _not_ join us, please just say so. I will try to find a … delicate way to explain it to Henry.”

“No!”

“‘No’ what.”

“No! I mean yeah! Yes!” Emma sputtered in her hurry to make the words leave her mouth, before Regina got the wrong idea. “I would _love_ to spend Christmas morning with my fa-... with you and Henry,” Emma said, recovering as quickly as she could. She winced and tried to force out another sentence before anybody decided to dwell on anything, but her brain was suddenly a fuzzy mush, and an awkward pause ensued. _Great_. The hand still buried in her hair grabbed, twisted, and pulled, and she gritted her teeth, eyes closed.

Regina cleared her throat on the other end of the call after a moment. “Yes. Well. Thank you,” she said matter-of-factly. “Will we see you at seven then?”

“Yes, ma’am. You couldn’t keep me away!” _Jesus, Swan, shut up and quit digging a hole_.

“Very well, thank you. I’ll let you get back to your morning, _Emmma_. I’m sure you and Miss Lucas have much to discuss,” said Regina, apparently amused - Emma could hear the grin that formed around the words.

“What? Why would Ru-” she began, but turning around she was suddenly face to face with the lanky brunette, and said brunette looked like she was wound up enough to explode as she set a cup of hot coffee on the counter in front of Emma. 

Regina laughed low in her throat quietly, and Emma felt like she was about to sprout some raggedy wings or something as the goosebumps spread furiously across her shoulder blades. The phone beeped in her ear as Regina hung up without another word. As Emma brought her hand down to slip the thing into her coat pocket, she heard the revving of a car’s engine outside and looked up just in time to see a certain black Mercedes pulling off down the street. _Okay, stalker much?_

“Wow, dude,” said Ruby, looking her up and down. “If you release any more pheromones into this room I’m either going to start sneezing or jump your bones.”

“‘Jump your bones’? What is this, the 80s?”

“Rude.”

“Rude, huh? I’m not the one invading peoples’ privacy with my super-nose.”

Ruby snorted. “Ok. Fair.” she said. “But what’s up with that? What did she do that has you all worked up?”

“I _am not_ all worked u-”

“Emma, you _literally_ just pointed out my werewolf nose.” She pointed a finger at her face. “Canine sense of smell,” she said, gesturing two quick circles around her face with said pointer finger, “and you’re stinking up the place. Now, spill.”

“Ugh. Fine.” Emma settled onto one of the bar stools and wrapped her fingers around the steaming cup in front of her. “Regina just invited me to spend Christmas morning with her and Henry.” She glanced around the room; no one was really within earshot. “I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

Ruby grinned, leaned back from the counter, and mimed waving away the air between them, wrinkling her nose. “I’m pretty sure I know how you feel about that.”

“You’re _suuuuu_ per fucking funny, Rubes,” said Emma through a tight-lipped scowl.

“Sorry. I’m done now,” said Ruby, putting a good bit of effort into stifling another grin and leaning her elbows on the counter. “Just be forgiving if I suddenly sneeze at you.”

“Jesus, I’m surrounded by comedians today,” said Emma with a long-suffering glance at the ceiling. “Okay, so I don’t have to tell you what part of the issue is, but even without that, this is a really big deal and my head is spinning, and…” Emma paused as she pushed back a bit from the counter and hung her head between her outstretched arms. “Ugh.”

“You’ve been over there before, Ems.”

“Yeah, but I just realized that there’s gonna be a bunch of presents under the tree for Henry and Regina. What if there’s something under there for me? I kinda think I have to buy something and bring it over with me.”

“For Regina.”

“Yeah, for Regina.”

“You really think she bought you a Christmas present this year?”

“Maybe not, but if there’s something under there from Henry, you know she helped him pick it out, and gave him the money to buy it for me.”

“Hmm, yeah…” Ruby drummed her long scarlet nails on the counter thoughtfully for a moment. “Are you going to bring over stuff for Hen from under your folks’ tree?”

“Uh, I hadn’t thought about that, but yeah I guess. I mean I kinda have to or it’s gonna be weird just sitting and watching them open stuff they got each other…” Emma felt a fresh wave of panic building, because: “Oh my god Ruby she totally bought me something, or she wouldn’t be inviting me over…” and she felt lightheaded again. “She’s the kind of person that would already have thought this all the way through.”

“Yeah,” said Ruby, a smile blossoming on her face, “I totally just had the same thought.” She smiled widely then and bounced a little bit where she stood behind the bar. “Mayor Hotpants may have hot pants for you after all?” she asked hopefully.

“I’d settle for ‘looking for a goodwill gesture’ at this point, honestly,” said Emma with a wry grin.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Ems. Regina has pheromones too y’know,” Ruby said with a wink.


	2. Clueless Though

Emma found herself standing in front of the Sheriff’s station door with a key in her hand, and no idea what to do next. She’d obviously daydreamed all the way over here. Only the voice behind her had snapped her out of it.

“Are we working today, or…” asked David.

“Oh, hi Dad. Sorry.” said Emma, looking back down at the door and the key in her hand, her mind still completely blank. Daydream images lingered… images of twinkling lights and a slender hand holding a delicate gift.

“It goes in that little slot under the handle… teeth pointing up I think,” David supplied helpfully, “and then if you turn it, it’ll let you pull the door open.” He tucked one of his cups of coffee between his left arm and ribs and went for his keys in his pocket. “Do you want me to show you? I could swear I’ve seen you do this before.”

“Why is everybody so funny today?” said Emma, turning the key in the lock finally and swinging the door open. She held it for her father and he passed inside, shifting the other cup back to his hand.

“Don’t know - I was born this way. Can’t speak for others,” he said with a typically charming smile. “Kinda hoped it would have rubbed off on you, but here we are.” They made their way through the chilly hallway and into the barely warmer squad room. He set one cup down on August’s desk and headed toward his own space, taking a sip from the other.

“What. I’m funny,” Emma protested. “I can be funny.” She unwound the scarf from around her neck, shivering a little bit as the chill of the room seeped in around her collar. “Ugh, sometimes I want to move back to Arizona. I don’t think I shivered once the whole time I lived there.” She tossed the scarf and her light knit gloves onto the filing cabinet behind her desk and rubbed her hands together.

“See? Not funny,” said David.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

“I noticed,” he replied, and draped his own coat and scarf over the back of his old squeaky chair. “I give you a perfectly good opening about how I was _born funny_ , and you don’t bite. Not even a nibble.”

“Mm,” said Emma noncommittally, and walked toward the old rotary thermostat on the wall, intending to ratchet it up a degree or two.

“Why is it that only Regina can get a rise out of you anymore these days?”

Emma froze (figuratively). “What did you just say?” she asked without turning around.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love watching you two jab at each other all the time… the verbal sparring gets pretty entertaining.” He pulled the first folder off the stack on his desk and flipped it open, clicking the pen in his hand a few times as he glanced up and down the form inside. “Because _you are_ funny, but only with her,” he continued without looking up, beginning to fill in the boxes at the top of the page.

“What are you even talking about?” asked Emma. She shook her head and set the heat dial to 72, walking back to her desk muttering, _67? What the hell…_

“I’m talking about how with Madam Mayor it’s like you’ve got an bandolier of witty one-liners over your shoulder, and you deliver them with deadly precision and a smile on your face.” He stopped writing and looked up. “August can’t get you to do much more than grin anymore, you don’t find your old man funny _at all_ lately, and we all used to get _a lot_ of fun out of the fact that Deputy Fa was born allergic to jokes and humor in general.” He glanced over at the door as it opened. “Mornin’ August.”

“Mornin’ guys,” said August, running a hand over his stubbly beard and removing his tufted beanie in one connected gesture. “Aw yeah…” he said when his eye caught the cup sitting in the center of his desk blotter calendar. He lifted the cup and took a noisy sip, looking back and forth between them. “What’s the good word?” he asked. David didn’t answer, busy with his phone.

“We’re talking about how I’m not funny anymore,” Emma supplied, as she walked around behind her own desk.

“Nah, you’re funny. At least when the Mayor’s around.”

David had just taken a sip of his coffee and swallowed it quickly to avoid spit-taking it across his paperwork. He coughed into his fist a couple of times and glanced toward his daughter.

“Oh Jesus,” muttered Emma, and pulled her desk chair out noisily. She flopped down onto it and grabbed a folder from her own stack, flipping it open and leaning her head on her left hand with an exaggerated sigh.

“Okay, out with it kiddo,” said David. “You were on another planet this morning staring off into space when I found you, and now us talking about Regina has your hackles up. Is something wrong there?”

“Yeah, is that not going well anymore?” asked August.

“Problem with the holiday scheduling between you two?” David offered.

Emma stared back and forth between them, slack jawed. “I swear to god we’re not even speaking the same language,” she said, shaking her head and looking back down to her paperwork. “Anyway, no… they’re…. Fine, I guess.” She scribbled a few words onto the paper. “Actually good… they’re good. Weird though.”

David typed a few more words on his phone then set it down. “Weird?” he asked.

Emma grimaced as she scribbled a few notes. “Regina asked me to spend Christmas morning with her and Henry, and they want me there at seven A.M. to have breakfast with them.”

“Ohhh…” they both replied, nearly in unison. “That’s awesome. Good for you, Swan,” said August, raising his coffee cup a little and nodding to her with a smile.

“That sounds nice,” said David. “And aside from the reaction you’re going to get from your crestfallen mother when you tell her about it, I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah man, ‘bout time,” August added.

Emma stopped writing and looked up, wordlessly staring back and forth between them again. “About time?” she asked. “About time for what?”

Now it was August and David’s turn to stare at each other for a moment. David recovered first. “So, that’s next Tuesday, right? Did you buy their gifts yet?” he asked. “Personally, I’m an idiot about that and I’m usually doing the last of it on Christmas Eve.”

“I have stuff for Henry that I’ll bring over.”

David’s phone buzzed. He picked it up to look at it but set it right back down. “Do you know what you’re getting for Regina? Procrastinating on that for some reason?”

“Well, I uh…”

“Well what.”

“I kinda just figured out this morning that I’d better get her something, while I was talking to Ruby about it. We’ve never bought each other Christmas presents before.”

“So you’ve got nothing…” said David.

“Nothing… goose egg,” said Emma. “Zip, zero, zilch, nada… and panicking a bit. Pretty sure she already got me something, since she invited me over.” David was clicking away at his phone down in his lap behind the desk. “Dad?”

“Hmm? Oh. Right.” He glanced at his phone one more time and set it aside again. “Well, not to worry, I’m going to head down to Rockport either Saturday or Sunday to pick up something for Snow. You tag along and we’ll figure it out.”


	3. Fifty Bucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My BrOTP you guys....

[ **Charming** ]: it’s coming down to it but I still think I’ll win

[ **Red** ]: not a chance bucko

[ **Charming** ]: you really think christmas?

[ **Red** ]: guaranteed did you talk to her today?

[ **Charming** ]: yes right now actually 

[ **Charming** ]: and she still seems clueless

[ **Red** ]: nuh uh she’s catching up quick

[ **Charming** ]: no nudging from you or the bets off

[ **Charming** ]: and my moneys still on new years

[ **Red** ]: you said next year. That’s your bet

[ **Charming** ]: I know, if it happens new years, then they’re dating next year

[ **Red** ]: fine ur on but i still say Regina makes it happen on xmas somehow

[ **Charming** ]: 50 bucks still says youre wrong Red

[ **Red** ]: haha ngl looking fwd to spending YOUR 50 bucks Charming 😁

[ **Red** ]: like on after xmas sales cause theres no way this goes to new years


	4. Unwind and Unpack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't figured it out yet, _Emma's self-deprecating inner monologue_ is shown in italics.  
> I didn't want to type "she said to herself" or "she mused ruefully" a million times.

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Good evening Emma.

Emma yawned. She was half asleep on the couch watching a silly Hallmark Christmas movie - a particularly bad one about some ex-Marine chick and a vanilla handsome dude… and… something about a dog named Christmas? Hard to say - it was really boring and she was pretty sure she’d dozed off through some details. The * _ting-ting*_ message tone of her phone caught her attention and she fished it out from under the edge of her blanket.

 _Oh_ . Wide awake now, she grabbed her glasses from the coffee table and slipped them on hurriedly, tucking her hair behind her ears after. _Breathe. Don’t panic. You got this. Be casual._

[ **Emma** ]: oh hey Regina what’s up

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Am I disturbing you? It is a little late.

[ **Emma** ]: nah just watching a really boring movie that was putting me to sleep

[ **Emma** ]: thank you btw

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: For saving you from the movie?

[ **Emma** ]: no you called me Emma. That could easily have been a Good Evening Miss Swan lol

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Well if I’m honest, it was. I erased and re-typed it.

Emma smiled at the message, imagining Regina rolling her eyes at herself. It must have been slightly painful to the woman to “acquiesce” to her wishes. _When did I learn the word acquiesce? What’s next assuage? Abscond?_

[ **Emma** ]: I’m willing to call that progress! Anyway what can I do for you or were you just saying hi

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: No, I actually wanted to talk to you about something.

Emma’s heart sped up slightly, anticipating the next appearance of the typing animation in the corner of the screen, but there was nothing. The three little dots didn’t appear, so she opted for an attempt at lightening the mood.

[ **Emma** ]: well look at you being all modern and texting me 😮

[ **Emma** ]: you usually just call 😁

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Must you? I was trying to be considerate in case you were asleep. Is that so odd?

[ **Emma** ]: sorry Gina. What do you want to talk about?

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Well that’s new. I’m Gina now?

_Oh my god Swan you idiot what are you doing?_ Emma felt herself flush with embarrassment, and the sweatiness of her hands started to spread to other places like her cheekbones and forehead.

[ **Emma** ]: oh gosh sorry didn’t even think about it just typed and it came out haha

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: I don’t hate it, but let’s not use that in public, okay?

_Whew! Dodged a bullet baby!_

[ **Emma** ]: sure Gina you got it!

_Okay that might’ve been too much..._

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: I’m beginning to regret things.

_… shit._

[ **Emma** ]: things like what?

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Everything

_Swan, your default setting is ‘consistently idiotic’..._

[ **Emma** ]: ok Emma has her serious face on now. Sorry.

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Thank you.

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: So

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: We’ve never bought Christmas presents for each other before. I suppose because Christmas between you and I has always just been about Henry.

Emma had thought this was where the conversation was headed, and having it turn out she was right put a pretty big grin on her face.

[ **MyMyMajesty** ]: Okay, this is just too much typing on this stupid thing. May I call you?

[ **Emma** ]: sure thing just sitting here by myself

The next natural thing to happen then, would be for her phone to ring. Can I call you - Sure - Ring-ring - Pick up - Talk. But when the phone started ringing in her hands, with Regina’s name on the screen, it felt anything but natural. It was like she’d never had a call from the woman ever before. Her throat started to close; her heart hammered at her ribcage. She swiped open the call.

_Be cool. Be cool._ “Hi.”

“Good evening, Emma. Thank you for taking my call.”

“It’s no trouble. What’s up?”

“I bought you a Christmas present.”

A miniature lightning bolt shot down through her core. _Don’t freak out you already knew she was gonna say that. Be cool._ “Um, why does that sound like an admission of guilt, R’gina?”

“Well, like I said, that’s not something we… do... or have done before.” Regina sounded honestly uncomfortable; almost vulnerable. Emma’s insides unwound and relaxed, and she found that she wanted to explore that, to feel that, and see where it could go.

“Can I ask you a question, Regina?”

“Yes of course.”

“We’ve known each other for quite a while now, right?”

“ _That’s_ your question?”

“Regina…”

“I’m sorry.” She exhaled through her nose, not quite a laugh, and hummed. “Why do we both do that? After all this time?” Regina asked softly.

“Well, that’s exactly what I was just about to ask you,” said Emma. “The last couple of times we’ve talked, it kinda seems like you’re done with the uh… what did my dad call it… jabbing and verbal sparring?”

Regina didn’t answer.

“I mean, I’ve always kinda liked it. It’s fun getting you all worked up sometimes, and I think you like it too. And whenever I get a good line in, you’ve always got something right on par to come back with. You give as good as you get; it’s fun.”

Regina hummed thoughtfully again. “We challenge each other.”

“Sure do,” said Emma. Regina was silent again. “Not fun for you anymore?”

Regina remained silent for a moment longer, then cleared her throat. “This isn’t what I called to talk about.”

 _Oh my god this woman…_ _mixed signals much??_ “Oh, okay, sure. So… you bought me a Christmas present?”

“I did. I just wanted you to be aware of that before you visited.” 

Regina’s tone had shifted back toward cordial and professional. Emma felt a bit confused. Trying to navigate the brunette’s psyche was a bit like tip-toeing an eggshell footpath through a minefield sometimes. Every once in a while she felt like there was a connection through their… whatever this was… this bizarre juggling act of shared custody, co-worker dynamics, flirting, their unreal roles as complimentary magic users and town protectors, and… friendship? Family? But something always obscured it just when she thought she could see it. Something named Regina Mills.

_She’s scared. Regina’s scared._

“Okay, y’know what R’gina? I know you didn’t call to talk about this, but I bought you a present too.” That was a lie, but well, she was going to in a couple days, right? “And I think that means something for us.”

“Us, Miss Sw-... Emma?”

Emma resisted the urge to growl at Regina’s slip-up. _We’re_ not _fucking going back to Miss Swan goddammit…_ “Yeah, Us. You an’ me. Emma and Regina. Henry’s moms. The two humans who interact on an almost daily basis and might have become friends.” Emma heard Regina’s sharp intake of breath over the phone, followed by a slow exhale.

“You think we’re friends?” she asked hesitantly. No haughtiness, no snark, just a question.

“Yeah, pretty crazy, right?” said Emma with a forced laugh. “Could that be possible? Imagine friends buying Christmas presents for each other. How weird, haha.” She closed her eyes and listened for a while to the nothing coming back through the phone, running a hand through her hair once, then massaging her forehead for a moment, waiting for something, anything to come back to her from the utterly confusing and frustrating woman on the other end of the line. The silence almost made her want to cry.

Through a gap in the curtains she could see snowflakes falling, caught by the glow of the street lights. She stood from the couch and walked to the window, pushing the curtain aside a little as she leaned against the wall and took in the scene. It was pretty magical. The town glowed with a bluish hue through the pristine snowscape, and the flakes falling were slow and enormous - the kind that absorb all sound and make the world preternaturally peaceful. The air between the curtains and the glass was cold; her breath steamed up the nearest pane. So quiet.

And still nothing on the other end of the phone either. She released the edge of the curtain and walked back to the coffee table to pick up the remote and click the TV off. Still nothing.

“Okay, Regina it’s late. I gotta go.” She squeezed her eyes shut and moved to end the call.

“Emma wait.”

Emma stopped in her tracks and swallowed nervously. “Still here.”

“You’re right, I am. Getting a bit tired of it, that is - the clever barbs and banter, the… verbal sparring. I…” She paused. Emma smiled quietly to herself and waited for her to continue. After a moment she did. “Sometimes I just want to talk to you. Yes, the riling up thing is fun, and you too ‘give as good as you get,’ as you say, but I just want…” She paused with a huff. “Sometimes I need…”

“Someone to talk to,” Emma offered.

“Yes,” Regina sighed. “If we both enjoy all of the… ‘discussions’ we have so much, maybe we can have them be productive or supportive sometimes?”

“Well, that’s a start. Wanna be friends, Gina?”

Regina laughed. “Is that going to be a thing now?”

“I think it might be,” Emma responded with a little mirth of her own, “Wanna be friends? Friends who buy each other Christmas presents?”

Regina sighed resolutely. “I think that’s what we are, Emma.”

“Okay good.” Emma set the remote down and walked over to the front door to double check the lock. “Time for me to get some sleep. Talk to you soon?”

“Yes, dear. Pleasant dreams.”

“Mmm… I hope so.” _Oh, oops… shit._ Emma could well remember a few of the dreams she’d had over the last year or so.

“Oh,” said Regina, followed by another of those dark chuckles that raised all the hair on the back of Emma’s neck and tickled her ribs with goosebumps. “You hope so?”

“I, er… um,” Emma sputtered. “Let’s uh… let’s talk about that some other time, ‘kay?”

“As you wish, _Emmmaa_ … Good night.”

“Nite R’gina.”

  
_Way to go Swan, good job creepin’ on your kid’s mom_ , she said to herself as she headed for the bathroom to get ready for bed. But when she saw her face in the mirror, she was still grinning, and it so happened that she had to wipe toothpaste off of her chin three or four times while brushing because that grin just wouldn’t go away.


	5. A Girl’s Best Friend

“A jewelry store?” Emma asked as David parked the old pickup at a meter outside.

“Yup. Got your mom some earrings. They were set on the wrong kind of post though, so I asked if they could swap them and they did it for free,” David replied, throwing the shift lever in park and unclicking his seatbelt. “They’re nice folks… been here two or three times before.” He opened his door and looked over at her before hopping out. “You ready?”

Emma was still staring out her window with one hand on the door latch, not moving. “I uh… I don’t know if I want to get her jewelry. Isn’t that kinda… I dunno… a bit much the first time around?”

“You’re not picking out a ring, Emma, just a gift. They have all kinds of things here.”

“You sure?” asked Emma, deciding to not expend any mental energy on the “picking out a ring” comment.

“I’m sure. But if you don’t see anything you like, there’s a little outdoor mall in the next town down the highway… about twenty minutes away. Lots of shops there.”

Emma didn’t answer but opened her door and climbed out, the door groaning loudly as she closed it behind her. She stood on the sidewalk for a moment staring up at the signage, her hands stuffed in her pockets. _Jewelry… yikes_.

“C’mon kiddo,” said David and pulled open the door to the establishment, which, oddly enough, had the exact same bell as the door at Granny’s. He held it for her and bowed comically, with a squire’s flourish. “After you, your Highness.”

“Ha ha,” said Emma and stepped inside. A middle-aged woman with short hair and a large, tacky name tag that read “JANICE” looked up and smiled at them.

“Ah, Mister Nolan, nice to see you again. You’ve come for the earrings?” 

“Hi Janice, yes I have. Melanie said they were ready.”

“They are, they are.” She looked at Emma then. “And who is this? Your young wife you talk so much about? Hello dear, I’m Janice,” she said as she extended a hand over the glass countertop.

“No, this is my daughter, Emma.”

Janice looked taken aback, and slightly embarrassed by the mistake. “Your daughter? My goodness, Mister Nolan, but you look far too young to-”

“I do, yes,” David said quickly and added a laugh. “People say that all the time.”

“I can imagine,” said Janice, giving Emma a critical once-over, a slight frown beginning to crease her brow. 

“Hi Janice, it’s nice to meet you,” Emma said, and lightly clasped the extended hand, deciding it best to move this along before “Janice” decided that “Mister Nolan” was trying to pull something over. “My dad said you have all kinds of gifts here, and I need a small present for a friend of mine. Could you show me some things?” She smiled as brightly and disarmingly as she could.

That seemed to do the trick. “I see you’ve inherited your father’s charming smile. I’d be happy to help.” She raised her voice and spoke back over her shoulder toward an open door in the corner. “Melanie dear, could you please come out and help Mister Nolan?” 

She went on to walk Emma around many of the display cases as David conducted his business with Melanie at the front counter. When they reached the last case at the back of the small store, something immediately caught Emma’s eye. The display was full of sterling silver monogram necklaces, and there was a cursive “R” right up front. What’s more, the top edge of the letter had a crown molded into it. It was simple, but it was elegant, and to Emma’s mind it was perfect. She said as much, picturing it resting against Regina’s skin, nestled below her perfectly sculpted collar bones. _Whoa Swan, calm yourself..._

“That is pretty nice,” David said over her shoulder, “I think she’d love it.”

“I think so too,” said Emma. “Do you think it’s a little too… I dunno… plain?” She ran her finger over the glass above it and asked Janice if she could please see it outside the case. “You know how fancy she is.”

“What do you think, Janice? Can we ‘ _zhuzh this up_ ’ a bit?” David asked, as the woman handed over the charm and small chain.

“We can, yes,” Melanie chimed in from behind him. She extended her hand to Emma, “Hi,” she said. “Melanie.”

“Emma.” She shook the woman’s hand firmly. It was warm and calloused. “Hi, Melanie nice to meet you.”

“Hi, Emma. Just last week I customized one like this for someone else,” she explained. “Because it’s pure sterling, I can solder some pronged settings on the crown very easily. I can put diamond chips on each of the three points, and a small, round, brilliant-cut stone right where the crown meets the R,” she said. “It’s all very simple and I can have it for you this afternoon.”

Emma bit her lip. “Wow that sounds really pretty, but…” She glanced at her father before looking down at the necklace in her hands.

“But?” asked David.

“That means I’m buying Regina diamonds for Christmas.” Emma’s eyes were a bit wide and she swallowed visibly. Janice and Melanie exchanged a look that Emma didn’t see.

“Do you think she deserves anything less than diamonds?” asked David. 

“No I don’t, but jeezis Dad… first it was a gift, then it was jewelry, and now it’s jewelry with friggin’ _diamonds_ on it.”

“If I may, Emma?” Melanie interjected. Emma gave her a beseeching look and she continued. “Yes, they’re diamonds, but a monogram or charm necklace can be a very informal gift, often exchanged between friends.” Emma nodded thoughtfully and draped the necklace across her palm to look at it again. A soft smile spread across her face. Melanie interpreted what she saw and added: “But all the same, they _are_ diamonds, so if you want them to mean more than that, they can,” she said with a kind smile.

Emma’s eyes darted back up from the necklace, wider than normal but not panicked. After a moment she smiled back at the older woman. “Yes please. If you could do that for me I would appreciate it. We’ll go do some other shopping and come back for it. A couple of hours? More?”

“We’ll get started right away,” said Janice, taking the necklace back from Emma and handing it to Melanie, who had walked back behind the counter.

Melanie accepted it and pressed a kiss to her wife’s cheek as she headed toward the door to the back room. “Couple of hours. I’ll have it done by three P.M.” she said back over her shoulder, and rounded the corner out of site.


	6. Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the little things.

“See? Like I said, nice folks.”

The old truck was rumbling down Highway 1 toward the outdoor mall in Rockland. The heater was keeping up nicely, and it was a beautiful sunny Saturday, despite the winter chill and the low piles of freshly plowed snow lining the road. The bright, midday sun was melting things, and the passing cars threw up rainbows in their wakes as they passed.

“They are.”

David looked over at her a few times, expecting more than two words, but could see that she was lost in thought and left her be. Emma noticed his glances in her peripheral vision but didn’t say anything for another few miles.

“Was there something you wanted to talk to me about, Dad?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“M‘kay,” said Emma, and propped her chin in her hand, watching the trees go by along the road. “Is there a game store or a toy store there?”

“At the little mall? Yep, I think there’s a Game Stop.”

“Perfect.”

Before long they pulled into town, and Emma used her phone’s GPS to find the store. They scored an empty parking space a few stores down and got out to walk the rest of the way. David wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and she leaned into him, wrapping her left around his waist. When she looked up inquisitively he kept his eyes straight ahead, but a small smile turned up the corner of his mouth. “Love you too, Dad.” she said, and the smile broadened.

Game Stop was busy. Not surprising for the Saturday before Christmas. There were probably twenty or more people crammed into the little store, but everyone was smiling and cheerful, so it didn’t feel crowded. Emma remembered that Regina had bought Henry a Switch for his birthday, so she headed to the Nintendo section to peruse the games, hoping she’d recognise which ones he did and didn’t have.

“Hey,” said David, walking up after a few minutes and nudging her with his elbow. “Does Henry still collect these Totaku figures? Good stocking stuffers…”

Emma looked down at the ones he was holding. “He has the Sockboy one, but not the Crash Bandicoot. I’d go with that.”

“Nicccce. Score,” he said, and walked off again. She smiled after him, and turned back to the mind-numbing selection of cartridges in their ridiculously oversized packages. _Crap, I can’t remember._ She pulled out her phone and went to speed dial numero uno.

“City Hall, Regina Mills…”

“Hey, it’s me. Didn’t recognize my number?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t even look. Hello, Emma.”

“How come you’re at work, Gina?” Emma asked, listening closely and carefully to see how that would go over. There was that tiny little nasal exhale again, and she could picture Regina shaking her head with begrudging amusement. _Nicccce… score..._

“I’m trying to get caught up, maybe even ahead a little bit,” she replied. “I want to take Monday off and get the baking started.” She sighed. Not a frustrated sigh, more like a… ‘transitional breathing’ kind of sigh. “What do you need, Emma.”

“Sorry to bother you then, I wanted you to check something in Henry’s room, but you’re not home. I’ll let you get back to work, thanks.” A young sales associate caught her eye and managed to wordlessly ask if she needed any assistance with the games in front of her. Emma smiled and politely shook her head “no”, at which the girl smiled and moved on.

“No, wait. I need a break,” said Regina. “My eyes are starting to cross.” Emma heard her shuffle a few things around on her desk. “This is as good a reason as any, and a unique opportunity to test something I’ve always wondered about.”

“Uh… test what.”

“Whether or not I can teleport from one place to another without dropping a cellphone call.”

“Oh,” Emma said, and blinked. “I’ve never thought about that. That’s kinda nerdy and awesome.”

“Mm,” Regina replied. “Henry’s room, you said?”

“Yeah, his old Gameboy case… should be around his nightstand. He uses it to store all his games.”

“Very well, here we go.” There was a brief pause, then, “Did it work?”

“Still here!” said Emma. “Wow, there wasn’t even a blip.”

“Interesting,” said Regina, and Emma smiled to herself, knowing how much of a nerd Regina could be about the mechanics of spellwork, and that she would mentally file this away to investigate later. “By his nightstand, you said… what am I looking for?”

“It’s a black zipper case with a shoulder strap… should have a Nintendo logo on it.”

“Do I even know what that is?”

“You’ll know it when you see it.” The girl walked by and smiled again. She was cute, in the classic geek-girl-with-glasses-and-a-polo-shirt sort of way. Emma smiled back. She could hear Regina rummaging around in something with the phone wedged between her ear and shoulder. “Do you see it?”

“I think I have it. His game thing was sitting on top of it. It’s full of little colorful plastic things…”

“Yup, that’s it. Does he have a Switch cartridge for Super Mario Party?”

“Right. A ‘switch cartridge’… Okay…” Regina laughed to herself, or at herself. “There are three different kinds of… um, ‘cartridges’… in here. How do I…” (there were more rummaging noises) “- oh, I see. The ones in this pouch say ‘Nintendo Switch’ on them. Ah. Okay, hold on...” She muttered the titles of the games to herself as she sorted through them.

Emma swooned. 

Hard. 

How could it be this... How could _this_ be the thing that opened her eyes? Something inside of her smoothed out and a weight lifted from her. The noise of the holiday shopping around her seemed to quiet a bit. The Christmas music playing over the store’s loudspeakers was clearer. The sunlight in the parking lot outside was brighter. The diamonds meant something. _Oh my god._

“You said Super Mario Party?” Regina asked.

“Wh- What,” Emma stuttered quietly.

“Was Super Mario Party what you were asking about? If so, it appears that no, he does not have that one.”

_I want the diamonds to mean something._

“Emma?”

“Yes. Sorry. Okay thanks for looking. I appreciate your help.”

“You sound a bit odd dear is something the matter?”

“Oh I’m just excited is all…” _I bought you diamonds for Christmas..._

“Well, you do love Christmas.”

“I love buying presents for everybody… can’t wait to wrap them, haha…”

“As do I. I really enjoyed shopping this year. Mine, of course, are already wrapped.”

Emma snapped out of it a little and lolsnorted at the light jab. “Of course they are,” she said.

“I went overboard on the paper and ribbon this year. If you need any, you’re more than welcome to wrap yours here,” Regina offered, “or to borrow some.”

“Okay thanks!” said Emma. “Hey, front of the line, gotta go. See you soon. Don’t work too hard, ‘kay?” Emma set the game on the checkout counter.

“I won’t. Thank you for the distraction, Emma. Have a good afternoon.”

The call ended. “..... bye,” Emma said quietly, staring into space.

“A gift for your son?” the girl at the counter asked with a smile.

Emma shook her head and came back to reality. “What? Oh, hey, that was you. Yeah, it is. Hope he likes it ‘cause I’m totally gonna wanna play it with him.” 

“Nice,” the girl said, smiling again, and slid the game packaging under the scanner with a pleasant beep. “I heard you trying to figure it out with his dad on the phone. You guys sound like a pretty tight team.”

“Oh, uh, no that was his other mom. We’re uh… we’re not together.”

“His stepmom?” she asked, but then shook her head. “Um, hey y’know what, none of my business, sorry…” She looked at Emma briefly, blushed, and looked back down at what she was doing.

“It’s okay. But no, he’s got two moms… it’s just us. It’s…” Emma smiled apologetically, “It’s complicated.”

“Aw, I’m sorry. Things don’t always work out huh.” The young woman clicked the last button on her screen and bagged the game. “Anyway, if it turns out that you guys were wrong and he already has it or wants something else,” she waited as the small printer next to her monitor spooled out a receipt the length of her forearm, tearing it loose when it finished, “it says right here that you have thirty days to bring it back, no questions asked.”

“Good to know, thanks,” Emma said, with a grateful smile.

“Come back and see us anytime, Emma,” said the girl, and popped the receipt in the bag, handing it over.

Emma looked at her strangely as she accepted the merchandise, a bit caught off guard by the use of her name. 

The girl smiled and tapped the edge of the reader on the counter. “Credit card,” she said. “Has your name on it?” She looked around for a moment, then reached across the counter and grabbed a business card from the holder in front of the next monitor over. “You know what? Here.” She scribbled something on the back of it and gave it to Emma. “So you can find us again,” she said, her ears glowing bright red.

“Thanks. Merry Christmas. Bye now,” said Emma, and turned to find David waiting for her, his own Christmas treasures in a bag at his side. They headed back out to the parking lot, and when they got back to the truck Emma took a look at the card in her hand. She turned it over. “Ashley” it said, with a little heart next to it, and a phone number just below. She laughed.

“What’s so funny?” David asked over the hood of the vehicle.

“Oh, nothing,” said Emma, and laughed again. “Ruby’s nose is apparently spot on though.”


	7. When You Wish

It was a little after four P.M. when they drove by the “Welcome to Storybrooke” sign, and due to latitude and the time of year it was almost completely dark already. It was going to be a cold, clear night, and the stars were twinkling prettily in the northeastern sky while the steely indigo of the west faded slowly to black.

When the sun had gotten lower in the sky, the melted snow on the roads had turned icy, and they’d had to travel slowly. The trip back to the jewelry store was mostly fine, but they’d skidded to a stop at the curb in the shadow between buildings, where the water was already beginning to freeze. From there back to Storybrooke was the really sketchy stuff. They both white-knuckled most of the trip, and a few attempts at conversation petered out quickly. In the end, most of the trip passed in silence with the radio at a fairly low volume in the background. About twenty minutes out from town she phoned Michael at the garage and asked him to send out the dump truck with the sand spreader. 

Their stop at the jewelry store had been well worth the extra couple of hours. The necklace had turned out even prettier than she had imagined it would. When Janice had handed the box over the counter with a smile, Emma could tell that she was very pleased with how it had turned out. She grinned back, knowing that the older woman would love for her to open it and offer a reaction. She opened it eagerly.

“Oh… oh wow,” Emma said breathlessly, and a sort of giggly sound came from Janice. The R was polished to a mirror finish, the center diamond was sized and placed perfectly, and the fancy display lights over the counter made the diamond chips at the tips of the crown blaze at twice their size. It was bold, but delicate. Simple, but elegant. The thin, basic chain had been upgraded to a sterling silver box chain.

“She was singing to herself as she did the work,” Janice said, almost with a conspiratorial whisper. “I half expected to walk back there and find a Christmas elf,” she beamed. “She loved doing this for you.”

“Thank you Melanie!” Emma called out, hoping the other woman could hear her from the back room. She heard a muffled _oh!_ in response and soon Melanie appeared in the doorway behind the counter.

“You’re most welcome, Miss Nolan. I take it you like how it turned out?” she asked as she wiped her hands on the rouge-stained jeweler’s apron she wore.

“Swan. Emma Swan, and yes I love it. It’s still so delicate, even with the stones, and thank you so much for the nicer chain.”

“Swan…” she said, and that seemed to spark something, but she schooled her features and smiled. “Emma Swan. A lovely name… fitting for such a lovely girl.”

“Now-now dear…” said Janice, and raised an eyebrow at her partner.

Melanie winked at Emma and nodded at David. “A very merry Christmas to you both. Thank you for trusting us with the gifts for your loved-ones.”

Janice took the now-closed box back from Emma and slipped it into a gift bag with the final receipt and a little card that she explained would give her ten percent off on her next purchase. “Come back soon - Valentine’s Day will be here before you know it.”

The thing was nearly burning a hole in her pocket. She could still see the brilliant-cut center stone in her mind’s eye, resplendent in the company of polished silver and its smaller cousins, shimmering against the blue velvet background to which it was pinned, and every glance at the night sky - at the stars glittering in the blue to black gradient - reinforced it. She felt simultaneously overwhelmed at her feelings with this turn of events, _and_ immensely pleased with herself. She felt wistful, nervous, and cocky all at once.

Eventually as they reached the roads closer to home, driving was easier with the gritty sand laid down, and they both began to relax. David turned up the radio a few notches and hummed along to Louis Armstrong’s rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” 

Emma glanced over at him, his face dimly lit by the dashboard lights, and grinned. “Hey.” she said.

He stopped humming and noted her grin with a smile of his own. “Hmm?”

“I’ve been wondering… you and Mom seem pretty up on this American version of Christmas - almost like you were raised with it like I was.” David gave that a thoughtful side nod. “Did you have Christmas in the Enchanted Forest?”

“Well, it was called Winter Solstice, not Christmas, but a lot of the traditions were the same - bringing green stuff or trees inside, gifts, singing… even mistletoe. Not all that different from what we do here… minus The Wishing anyway.”

“There was wishing?”

“ _The_ Wishing. Capital W. It was a thing that closed out the year and got us focused on the coming one,” he explained. “Kind of like resolutions are here? But different? The druids said the world stood still for twelve days at the solstice, waiting in the dark for life to start up again in the new year. That was supposed to be the time for The Wishing.”

“So you were supposed to make wishes for the coming year?”

“Yup. It was different from kingdom to kingdom, here and there. In some places, The Wishing sort of became part of the run-up to Solstice, and you would wish for the perfect gift, or try to find out the ‘true wishes’ of your loved ones, so you could give them the perfect gift.”

“That’s cool. Kinda like writing a letter to Santa, huh,” said Emma. “You get your kids to write down what they want, and then the presents seem kinda magical.”

David laughed. “I guess so.”

“Druids, huh? So were there like, pagan rituals for this Wishing thing?”

“Oh probably, at some point I suppose… no one in our kingdom was very religious though. About the only thing that probably carried over from that was the star thing. You chose a bright star in the sky and said your wishes to it, so they would come true.”

“Today’s the solstice, isn’t it… the twenty-first of December,” Emma mused. She looked out at the night sky again. Orion the Hunter was just rising in the east, with Betelgeuse blazing at his shoulder. She wondered if that was a decent star to wish upon, and then wondered how many others had already wished upon it. Suddenly what her father had just said sunk in. “Wait, _seriously??_ ”

“What.”

“That’s where the ‘when-you-wish-upon-a-star’ song came from?”

“I don’t know. Is that another one of those Disney movie things?” he asked with a grimace. “Most of us don’t pay a lot of attention to those. They feel weird and creepy, and they’re almost never right. Just close enough to be… well, weird.”

“Yeah, Regina hates those too,” said Emma.

David laughed again. “I’m sure she does! Old-croan-with-apple is not a flattering look.”

Emma laughed too, and turned to look out the window, searching the stars again. _Croan… ha. God she’s so pretty…_

“That she is,” David agreed.

Emma’s face went hot. “I said that out loud, didn’t I.”

“That you did,” David affirmed.

“I’m such a dork.”

“That you are.”


	8. Twas the Night Before

Emma woke to a darkened room and had to pee so bad it was almost an emergency; she winced in discomfort as she swung her legs off the bed and rose, standing still for a moment to make sure she had her balance before scrambling over to the bathroom. The tile floor was chilly, and so was the glossy surface of the seat when it hit her bare skin. She shivered lightly as she took care of her business.

Her mind was swimming with images and half-remembered words and phrases. The dreams were out in full force tonight. She was obviously anxious. 

It wasn’t like she wasn’t looking forward to Christmas with her son and his other mom. She was ready. Prepared even. She had clothes laid out on a chair across from her bed. She had a gift, all bought, wrapped and labeled for Regina, and another for Henry to go with a half dozen she’d snagged from under her mom’s tree, sitting in a neat stack on the table downstairs.

But that was Emma Three Days Ago ready. Emma Tonight was a different person. 

Well, not really... but, yeah? 

Yeah. Different. 

She felt different. The world looked and felt different. Life itself felt like it meant something different. 

That worried her. She hadn’t seen Regina since like Monday, of last week. Seven days. She hadn’t seen her in person in seven days (other than a glimpse of her car driving away) and she was going into tomorrow with a full head of steam as New Emma Who’s Finally Admitted She’s In Love With Regina, and there was  _ absolutely no way _ Regina was ready for that.

Somehow she was going to have to show up and act like they were friends. Newly-admitted friends at that. Good god, that conversation they’d had was what, Thursday? No, Friday. They’d “officially” been friends for three friggin’ days, and here she was carrying a blazing torch for the woman. Ruby was pretty certain that Regina had feelings of some kind for her, or was at least attracted to her.  _ “The nose knows, Ems.” _ she said. But again - not the same thing as Emma all-the-pieces-have-fallen-into-place Swan over here with her fucking torch.  _ Fuck. _

She distractedly realized that she was shivering and her rear end was numb from sitting on the hard seat so long.  _ Emma you dumbass… _ She finished up, washed her hands and headed back to her bed, looking forward to slipping back beneath the covers and finding the warm spot from earlier. The ethereal blue winter glow was peaking through the curtains again, like it had a few nights ago. No snow that she could see this time, it was probably too cold for that, but it looked like a nearly full moon was illuminating what snow there was on the ground, and those stars were still blazing away in the clear sky. A magical Christmas Eve. 

She looked down at her phone on the nightstand: 3:45 A.M.  _ Great.  _ So actually Christmas morning then. Emma walked over to the curtains and pulled them apart. The cold air that had been trapped there flowed down and pooled at her feet for a moment before dissipating into the room. 

It truly was a beautiful night. In addition to all the natural light and wonder of it, the festive blinking lights of house decorations throughout the neighborhood glowed and winked and danced in anticipation of Santa's big day tomorrow. In the distance she could see some of the Main Street decorations too - the big sparkly ones on the tall light poles at the intersection. The night was so clear and still. There was so much to see. For a moment she truly felt the magic of it. One of those rare glimpses into a world that’s probably bigger than the way you see it. Faint Christmas music from one of her recent dreams ran quietly through the back of her mind.

Directly in the middle of the sky, blazing brightly above it all, was a single star. One of the redder ones… “ _ Aldebaran _ ” something whispered in the back of her mind, probably a piece of leftover knowledge from astronomy club at U of A, way back when. She smiled. 

“Hi there… wanna be my wishing star?” she whispered, staring up at it wistfully for a moment. Her smile widened and she shook her head at herself. _ Wow Swan, talking to twinkling lights in the sky… lonely and pathetic much? _

There was no magical reply. No brightening. No extra twinkle to acknowledge her presence. Just good old Aldebaran shimmering in the sky, sixty-five and a half million light years away. She rolled her eyes at herself.  _ God I was such a nerd in college… _ Emma had always poked at Regina that Henry got his nerdiness from her, but she knew better. 

She decided to leave the curtains open. She climbed back into bed, sliding beneath the plush down comforter and punching her pillow a couple of times out of habit. She settled on her left side with a sigh finally, facing the window. Little bits of images and pieces of memory flitted around her mind for a moment - Regina being nerdy about this or that, correcting her grammar, complaining about her kitchen. Emma felt a pang of longing and fondness in her gut, picturing the barely concealed smirk on Regina’s lips that almost always followed those snarky admonitions. Looking up at the twinkling star one more time, she fervently wished that the new year held good things for them… for her, for Regina, for Henry…. for their family. 

She smiled to herself one more time and drifted off to a peaceful sleep under the watchful guard of her wishing star.


	9. The Plus Column

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Excessive Fluff - don’t like don’t read lol

At 5:55 A.M. Emma woke to her phone blaring an 8-bit version of Jingle Bells at her. It made no sense to her sleepy brain and she was disoriented - she’d had the same alarm tone for years. Then she smiled as she remembered that Henry had shared a sound file with her on Sunday evening, and they’d spent a few minutes over text messages setting their “synchronized Christmas alarms” to go off at the same time. The phone chimed in her hand a few seconds after she dismissed the alarm. A text. She slipped her glasses on.

[ **Henry** ]: merry christmas ma!!

[ **Henry** ]: did yours work? mine just did but I was already awake

[ **Ma** ]: yup sure did Operation Clockwork is a success :D merry christmas kid

[ **Ma** ]: been up long?

[ **Henry** ]: only for like a couple hours

[ **Henry** ]: i went downstairs for a minute and theres a bazillion presents

[ **Ma** ]: a couple hours??? really?

[ **Henry** ]: yeah there was a really bright shooting star or something and it woke me up

[ **Ma** ]: okay

[ **Ma** ]: a Brazilan presents huh?

[ **Ma** ]: sorry *bazillion

[ **Ma** ]: shut up autocorrect nobody asked you

[ **Henry** ]: yup you should come over right away!

[ **Ma** ]: that’s the plan Hen

[ **Ma** ]: ok if I take a shower first? ;)

[ **Henry** ]: i guess

[ **Ma** ]: lol see you soon kid

[ **Henry** ]: hurry!!!

[ **Ma** ]: :D :D :D

Emma grinned all the way through her shower. If she was honest with herself she was just as excited about today as Henry was. She’d never done first-thing-Christmas-morning with him before and she was really looking forward to that. She’d watched him open presents at her folks’ house but that wasn’t the same thing. She really wanted to see what Regina’s tree looked like first thing in the morning too, with all the presents all artfully stacked up and laid out “just so”... It probably looked like a magazine ad. Mmmm… and food, Gina was making food…

And then of course there was that. And some diamonds. She closed her eyes and could still see those images from her wish dreams last night. She felt good about all of it. The freak-out of last week was totally over. She knew what she wanted, and she was going to go and get it. New year, new Emma. 

That lasted until she stood looking at herself in the mirror for a while, settling into the routine act of drying and blowing out her hair. Yeah, she knew what she wanted. Could she ever be entirely sure what Regina wanted?

Yeah, so Regina had bought her a present. What was it though, huh? Diamonds were pretty fucking unlikely, weren’t they. 

Could be a set of pots and pans for her “grossly understocked kitchen”, or whatever the Queen Of Sass had called it that one time. She reminded herself that wishes were wishes, and that it took two to tango. They’d officially been friends for less than a week. Less. Than. A week.

This would be work.

Fuck it whatever she still felt good about it. Officially four days, sure, but it had actually been way longer than that if they admitted it to themselves (which they were _not_ good at doing… either one of them).

Seventeen minutes later she was balancing a stack of presents on her hip and locking the front door on the way to the Bug. She was on track to ring the doorbell at 108 Mifflin at 6:59 and 56 seconds. The old key didn’t take four tries to open the passenger door this time. She packed all the gifts in there without dropping or breaking anything. The little yellow beetle started right up, scoffing loudly in the face of Maine’s winter weather. 

_Alrighty then. Starting the day with a fat plus-column. The Queen of Snark is going to be speechless._

When she arrived at the house she found that Regina had thoughtfully pulled her car all the way up the driveway, leaving a space for her to park, which was awfully nice of her. _Plus-column. Check_. She mentally retracted her Queen of Snark comment.

At precisely seven A.M. she rang the doorbell. 

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to see when it opened, but they… her family… they looked amazing. Henry was all dressed up in a long-sleeved blue and green checkered button-down, and over it he wore a navy blue sweater vest. He had on slacks and nice black shoes… He looked like he was ready for Sunday mass, not breakfast. Regina stood behind him with a hand on his shoulder. And oh… Regina.

Regina wore a form-fitting royal blue dress with tasteful black accents sewn here and there, and gorgeous sapphire and black onyx earrings. She had straightened her shoulder length hair and it was done slightly off to one side, which complimented the off-center dip of the dress’s modest neckline. She stood regally in her four-inch black patent leather heels, and her characteristic deep red lipstick framed a smile. A smile directed at her.

She was staring, mouth agape. Regina’s eyebrows rose slightly, and the smile didn’t fade. She looked pleased.

“Ma?”

Emma shook it off. “You guys!!” she said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to be overdressed coming so early, like maybe you’d be in your jammies and I’d walk in with my high heels and it’d be all weird,” she rambled. “But lookit you - you guys look amazing! Hi Kid, Merry Christmas!”

Henry beamed. “Mom said this was a special Christmas, with a guest, so we should show respect and put in some effort,” he explained. “Right Mom?”

“Yes, Henry, that’s right,” said Regina. The hand on his shoulder moved up to smooth his hair as she placed a kiss on the top of his head. He beamed some more. She turned to Emma with a renewed and genuine smile. “Good morning Emma, and Merry Christmas… you look nice.”

“Oh, you know, black jeans and boots are about as fancy as I get…” she muttered, “but thank you.”

“Those are really _nice_ black jeans though, and look at the heels on those boots…”

Emma blushed and looked down at them, doing the mandatory spin-ankle-left - spin-ankle-right thing that everyone does when they talk about shoes. “Thanks. I like ‘em. They make me feel fancy,” she said with a grin.

Regina laughed. “You are quite a site.” She blushed too, and cleared her throat, plastering on a fresh smile. “Here, let me take a few of those,” she said, reaching for the gifts. “Please come in. Breakfast in ten minutes.”

“Yeah Ma, c’mon you gotta see the tree!”

“Okay okay coming!”

He all but dragged her toward the living room; she had to concentrate on not dropping the gifts she had. The whole house was decorated apparently; there were garlands draped over the door frames and cascading down the rails of the grand staircase. She noticed that some of the art pieces had come down and there were holiday wreaths of all different kinds adorning the walls. It looked and smelled more like Christmas than anything she’d ever experienced. And then they were in the living room.

There should have been angels singing. The tree was just as she’d pictured it, but even more so because Regina had apparently spun some sort of ... enchantment? There was a soft glow all around it and it shimmered every so slightly, as if an invisible frosty breeze were affecting it. “Wow,” she said, frozen in her tracks.

“Isn’t it cool??” Henry asked excitedly, “We have the awesomest Christmas tree in the whole worrrrld!”

When the shock and awe had worn off, she turned to find Regina holding a small blue box with a white ribbon on it, caressing the bow with one finger gingerly. _The,_ blue box. Regina looked up. “This is for me,” she said quietly.

Emma grinned and nodded wordlessly in the affirmative.

Regina walked over to the edge of the veritable sea of presents and carefully set down the ones she carried. Emma followed her and did the same. They straightened back up in unison and found that they were very close, and eye to eye. Regina smiled. “Thank you for coming, Emma. Merry Christmas.”

“Yeeaaaaaahhh!!!” said Henry and all but crashed into them, creating a group hug that no one was really ready for. They all laughed and tried to keep from stumbling into the tree. Regina’s hand ended up on the lapel of her jacket, and Emma’s arms ended up around Henry’s shoulders and Regina’s waist. ‘New Emma’ took over and squeezed them all together with an enthusiastic growl. She pressed a kiss to the top of Henry’s head, and without a second thought, another to Regina’s right temple; the smell of her hair was intoxicating. She fought off the nerves and played it as cool as she could, pulling back with cheerful smiles for them both. Regina looked a bit shell-shocked but she was smiling still. 

_Score… Plus column. Check._

Emma stuffed her fingers into the pockets of her jeans and put on a pleading look (not quite puppy dog eyes… no need for the big guns just yet.) “Coffeeee?” she asked.

“Yeah! And fooooood!!” Henry added. Emma noted that there was a distinct cinnamon smell coming from the other side of the house, and her stomach took that as a cue to growl loudly. Henry thought that was hilarious.

Regina spun on a heel and headed for the hallway. “Come along, children,” she drawled back over her shoulder. “Your calories are waiting for you in the kitchen.”

Emma and Henry shared a silent fist bump and big cheesy grins, and followed her out of the room.

Merry Christmas indeed. The hand that had been around Regina’s waist was almost on fire.


	10. Queen to Knight Three: Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and you thought your teeth hurt after the last chapter?   
> Pffft… you know nothing.

Breakfast was unbelievable. Baked stuffed french toast, with cinnamon apple compote topping and powdered sugar. Emma’s eyes rolled back in her head a couple of times as she ate, appreciative groans escaping now and then. Henry giggled at each noise she made and Regina’s grins eventually turned into shy smiles and blushes. “So, you like it then,” she said finally.

“You couldn’t have picked a better breakfast for me even if you stared into the depths of my _soul_ ,” said Emma, a little sloppily. She grabbed her coffee cup and took a few generous swallows. “Oh my god I’m in heaven.”

Regina smiled at that, and peered over the rim of the cup when Emma set it back down, noticing its depleted state. “I’ll get you some more,” she said, and stood. She gathered Emma’s cup with hers and headed for the coffee maker.

“Yes, please - we have to stave off the food coma for as long as possible!” Emma called after her.

Henry laughed. Emma barely noticed though, _because blue dress and hips_ sashaying across the kitchen...

“Good job, keep it up,” Henry whispered, “appreciating her food will get you basically whatever you want,” he said with a big silly grin.

Emma gawked at him for a moment, then shifted to squinting questioningly. He winked. _He fucking winked at her._ Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to telepathically beam a question at him, because Regina was now looking over at them being all conspiratorial and about to ask them what the hell. Apparently it worked somehow, because for a split second he showed her a serious face and nodded almost imperceptibly. If she had blinked she’d have missed it entirely.

_The little shit, he’s onto me…_

_Okay fine, Wingman._

“What about clothes, shoes, that kind of thing?” she whispered back, glancing up at Regina who was stifling a grin and shaking her head.

“I dunno, probably,” was the clandestine reply, and then Regina was walking back.

Her heels clicked across the marble and Emma made note of them. “Those are Steve Madden, huh,” she said conversationally.

Regina’s pace slowed noticeably at this unexpected change of subject and she pursed her lips in amusement. She set the two full coffee cups on the table and sat. “Yes they are, actually,” she said, and glanced briefly under the table at Emma’s boots. “And those are Jessica Simpson, from the winter collection last year, are they not?” she asked with a frightening grin… a _‘how far do you want to take this because I’ll call your bluff’_ grin…

“Yes they are, actually,” Emma replied, blushing furiously. _Abort! Abort!_ “So! Presents??”

“Yes!!!” said Henry.

“Aaaaaafter we clean this up,” Regina admonished. “We’ll forgive your other mother this time but you know how this goes, young man,” she said with a fake scowl at Henry. She stood quickly and ruffled his hair on the way back to the kitchen counter with her coffee cup. “This would go more quickly if you wouldn’t mind giving me a hand, Emma?” she asked.

“It’s the least I could do to thank you for the best breakfast I’ve ever had,” said Emma. She stood and scooched her chair away with the backs of her knees while gulping down more coffee, gripping the cup in both hands with her eyes closed. “Ugh… so good,” she breathed as she headed toward the kitchen herself.

Regina flashed another brilliant smile at her, and Emma’s stomach did a little flip. No mean feat given the load it was supporting right now. She smiled back as confidently as she could and stepped up to the counter next to Regina. “What do you want me to do,” she asked as she surveyed the carnage.

“Finish your coffee while I put the leftovers away, then rinse things and hand them to me while I put them in the dishwasher,” she said, as she went into full-on mom-mode. “Henry? Go in the living room and choose the first three presents, okay? One for each of us.”

“Mmmkayy,” he said loudly, in that voice that young boys use only with their mothers over great distances, and headed out of the room. “But not ‘that one’, right?” he called back from the hallway.

“Correct,” she replied. She glanced briefly at Emma and went back to stacking tupperware into the fridge.

Emma chuckled and leaned back against the edge of the granite on the island, preparing to drink more of her coffee, admiring Regina’s dress for the umpteenth time this morning. Regina took one brief look toward the hallway, slammed the refrigerator door, and strode right up into Emma’s space. Emma’s eyes widened almost comically and she fumbled at trying to set her cup down without spilling it. She managed, barely. Regina did not smile, but looked back and forth between her eyes and her mouth twice, taking a half a step closer still. 

“If you keep looking at me like that we’re going to embarrass ourselves in front of our son,” she said quietly, and looked down at Emma’s mouth again.

“I…” Emma replied quietly, or, tried to. “I..” she tried again. “Okay have you _seen you_ today? I can’t help it,” she whispered loudly, finally matching Regina’s gaze. “If you smile at me one more time this morning I’m going to burst into flames - it’s not just me doing the ‘ _looking_ ’ R’gina...” Emma’s breath had gone shallow, and the smell and warmth of Regina’s closeness was making her dizzy.

Regina nearly smiled, but not quite. “So close. You almost said it.” She moved in a few inches more.

“Almost said what.”

“Say it. Use it.”

“Use what.”

“My new name…” Regina said, and her eyes were dark, almost hooded.

Emma scrambled for a moment mentally, then.. _Oh.._

“G - _Gina?_ ”

There were less than a few inches of separation remaining between them and Regina closed it in less than a blink. Her hands shot up and grabbed both sides of Emma’s face, yanking it down to her own.

Emma had always thought that when people said “it was like fireworks!” or something cheesy like that, that it was kinda dumb and silly. She was happy to find that she was wrong.

_Plus column. Check._


	11. A Crown and a Swan

They sat together on the couch, nearly shoulder to shoulder, Henry clearly watching them in his peripheral vision as they gradually made their way through the ocean of gifts surrounding the tree. But he didn’t comment on it or even give them an odd look. Emma was grateful for it because she was blissfully swimming in utter chaos on all fronts. Just totally spun.

First of all, and foremost, Regina had kissed her speechless. All the cocky and bravado were gone. She hadn’t said more than a half dozen words in the last half hour. It seemed her fate that Regina would have the upper hand, always. She didn’t mind it of course, it had always kind of been that way… Regina would always be smarter, prettier… everythingier… than Emma was. Regina was way out of her league. 

Okay, kinda out of her league? Ish? She guessed? But as of this morning maybe not? 

Anyway it was funny to Emma to think about how cocksure she’d been this morning on her way over… how this was “the New Emma” who was gonna go get what she wanted, and what now… Regina had flipped the tables in under two seconds? And Henry was way ahead of her for fuck’s sake? Between Ruby, these two, and her dad apparently all supporty and okay with this, it felt like a goddamn conspiracy.

She was blissfully miffed about it. _What the fuck is my life suddenly?_

And then there was this Mills family Christmas. She’d never seen anything like it. There were so many presents! And they all looked professionally wrapped. It should have seemed overly lavish and kinda crazy, but it wasn’t. Regina didn’t do frivolous spending. She’d bought some really nice things for Henry (they were just getting down to those now… the “important” ones that were saved ‘til last) but most of this was stuff he would need or want throughout the year, and she made it all into Christmas presents. It was pretty amazing.

And they were both so lovely about it… there was no _dive in and rip everything open_ business going on. Each gift was opened one at a time, and they took turns, and there was a _thank you_ for every single one, and a _why I got this for you,_ and a _why I love this present_ … and it was so overwhelmingly… nice. If she’d had her wits about her at all, Emma would probably have cried. She loved these two people. So much.

Henry was down to his last present - the last one from her. He opened it and _woohoo!’d_ a good fist pump, then proceeding to nearly jump into her lap and thank her with a great big squeeze of a hug. That was it… she lost it.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry Ma…” he said, pulling back. Regina pressed her hand to Emma’s back and rubbed small, gentle circles. Emma cupped a hand over her mouth to hold back a few sobs and reached with her other to lightly grasp Henry’s arm.

“No no no, it’s okay,” she said when she could manage to breathe again. “I’m just… you guys this is a lot. I’ve never done anything like this before.” She looked back and forth between them through her tears.

“I’m sorry, Emma,” said Regina, “I didn’t think this would be so overwhelming for you. We just thought tha-”

“I know I know, no, it’s fine,” Emma interrupted, laughing at her tears and fanning her face for a moment. “Thank you so much for inviting me - I’m so glad to be here.” She smiled up at Henry again and squeezed his arm in gratitude. With her other hand she reached out and twined her fingers between Regina’s where it rested on her thigh. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and let it out slowly, giving them both another light squeeze before standing from the couch briskly.

“Okay,” she said, “Where did it end up, Hen… I saw you move it around a few times when you were handing stuff out.” She sniffled and put the heel of her palm to the bridge of her nose for a moment.

He pointed to the edge of the tree skirt, right where it met the fireplace’s hearth that extended into the room a little bit. There sat two remarkably similar boxes, just under the tree’s lowest bough. She wiped away the last of her happiness tears with the backs of her thumbs and carefully waded through open gift boxes and piles of wrapping paper to retrieve them. As she faced the tree, holding them in her hands for a moment, her nerves threatened to go haywire again - she could feel it coming.

_“No I don’t, but jeezis Dad… first it was a gift, then it was jewelry, and now it’s jewelry with friggin’_ diamonds _on it.”_

_“...they_ are _diamonds, so if you want them to mean more than that, they can.”_

_“Oh I’m just excited is all…” (I bought you diamonds for Christmas…)_

No. 

No, this was right. No nerves necessary. 

_She already kissed you senseless Swan, buck up and let’s get this done. New Emma..._

Emma spun back ‘round on one of her heels wearing a confident smirk. Sniffling back the last of her tears, she walked back to the couch extending the blue and white box to Regina and clutching the other to her chest. The brunette made as if to rise and accept it, but Emma stopped her. “Nope, nope, sit,” she said, “we’ll open them together.”

Regina looked down at the little box in her lap. “Alright, as you wish,” she said. “Emma, I should tell you tha-”

“Nah let’s not do that.”

“I just wan-”

“No, I know,” said Emma with a tight-lipped grin that brokered no argument. 

Regina tilted her head slightly and regarded her with an almost apologetic smile. She glanced up at Henry seated on the arm of the couch behind Emma and back to the blonde. “Very well, Emma” she acquiesced. 

“You know what though? You first… I can wait. Orrr” she clipped the word off and held her breath for several seconds, then let it go noisily. “No. You first. Sorry,” she finished with a grin.

Regina smiled back. “Okay. But after all this buildup I’m a nervous wreck… will it bite or sting me? Is it cursed?”

“Ginaaaaaa,” Emma whined, “Open it!!!"

Regina closed her eyes and rolled her neck twice. She untied the bow and tossed it at Emma who winced with a squeak, then removed and balled up the blue paper and chucked it at Henry’s face, who mimed falling off the arm of the couch with an “Aaaaa!” When everyone had finished giggling, she exhaled loudly and pushed open the lid of the box.

Her left hand flew up to her mouth and she gasped behind it. Her eyes crinkled and misted up. “Oh my god so preeeettyyyyy!” she exclaimed. “Here here put it on put it on!” she said excitedly, unpinning it from the velvet interior and handing it to Emma. She quickly spun around on the edge of the sofa and pulled her hair to the side. Emma clasped it in place with a grin three miles wide, and Regina jumped up and scurried over to look at it in the mirror behind the wet bar. Emma stood up as if to follow, but sort of froze… her smile faltering a little.

“Oh, look at it sparkle! Oh Emma it’s so perfect… are these…” She fingered the necklace resting just above the neckline of her dress. “... diamonds?” she asked quietly, turning and regarding Emma with a crease between her brows.

Emma swallowed thickly. “Yeah. Yeah they are,” she said. “You should never have anything less than diamonds.”

“Hmh,” Regina huffed, and turned to admire the glittering necklace again for a moment. She turned her shoulders this way, then that, letting the lights from the tree and the rest of the room illuminate it from different angles. The smile on her face grew with each turn. Satisfied, she turned and walked back. “Sit sit sit!” she said with a shooing motion at Emma. “Your turn!” she said and sat primly, setting her palms on her knees and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Emma unwrapped the bow and paper as one and tossed them back over her shoulder at Henry who mumbled “where’s the love guys… jeez” to dual chuckles from his moms. She glanced up at Regina and paused with her thumb on the lid. The brunette inclined her head with a smile, and Emma pushed it open.

There nestled in and pinned to red velvet, was a delicate silver swan, no bigger than a fingernail, fixed to a fine silver chain. The swan’s eye was a tiny diamond, and it wore a tiny three-pointed crown, tipped with miniscule diamond chips. Emma felt the sting of fresh tears welling up.

“Oh Regina… it’s beautiful.”

“Umm… you guys kinda… match now,” Henry said behind her.

She ignored him for the moment. “You’re back there, make yourself useful,” she said, and handed him the chain. She watched Regina’s face as he clasped it on. Regina watched as it fell into place, reaching up to touch her own again, wearing an unreadable expression.

Emma gave her a brief grin and went to take her turn at the mirror, admiring it in the light the way the brunette had.

_“Swan… A lovely name… fitting for such a lovely girl.”_

“Um, Regina?”

“Oh no, what’s wrong? Is the chain too short, or...” Regina came and stood behind her, looking concerned.

Emma smiled at her in the mirror. “Melanie made this, didn’t she.”


	12. Never Been So Happy To

[ **Charming** ]: Emma and Henry came over for dinner this evening

[ **Red** ]: aww nice 😁

[ **Red** ]: they always do right? did you think they’d get snowed in at mifflin or smth😉

[ **Charming** ]: no we were expecting them. They even showed up on time

[ **Red** ]: on time it’s a christmas miracle!!  🎄🎅🎁

[ **Charming** ]: well no not when you consider who was with them

[ **Red** ]: no way

[ **Red** ]: no way!!! really? howd Emma talk her into that?  😮

[ **Charming** ]: oh no one was talking anybody into anything by how they look together

[ **Charming** ]: and the looks Henry is giving them

[ **Red** ]: wait are u saying what I think youre saying???

[ **Charming** ]: I think I am yeah

[ **Red** ]: yesssssssssssssss

[ **Red** ]: pay up bitch!!!

[ **Charming** ]: wow Red

[ **Red** ]: hahaha I’m sorry I meant it in the nicest possible way I swear

[ **Charming** ]: oh I’m sure you did

[ **Charming** ]: anyway you cheated, so I’m not paying up as you say

[ **Red** ]: wait no no no I did not

[ **Charming** ]: really

[ **Charming** ]: you won’t admit that you conspired with my wife, your best friend, to send them to the same jewelry store to get matching gifts

[ **Charming** ]: I’m really supposed to believe it’s a coincident?

[ **Charming** ]: *coincidence

[ **Red** ]: nuh uh i didn’t 

[ **Red** ]: Regina asked me for the name of a jewelry store and said it had to be outside town

[ **Red** ]: for “privacy reasons” she said

[ **Red** ]: I didn’t know one so I asked MM and she gave me the name of the place

[ **Red** ]: 😁

[ **Charming** ]: and of course that would be the same store I took Emma to

[ **Charming** ]: because it’s the only one I know

[ **Charming** ]: great

[ **Red** ]: 50 DOLLARS bucko 💲💲💲

[ **Charming** ]: fine

[ **Charming** ]: are you busy?

[ **Red** ]: nope just cleaned up dinner and Grannys sacked out already

[ **Charming** ]: well you should come over and see them then

[ **Charming** ]: Emma said something about getting you drunk

[ **Charming** ]: and really you should just see them

[ **Charming** ]: the three of them

[ **Red** ]: nice I’ll come right over

[ **Charming** ]: hey Red?

[ **Red** ]: yeah Charming? 😉

  
[ **Charming** ]: I’ve never been so happy to lose a bet in my whole life


	13. Epilogue

“It was even worse than we thought.”

“Oh?” Regina asked. “And what’s that?”

“I belong to a crime family,” Emma replied, handing over a glass of champagne. “Gambling, fixing, racketeering, extortion…”

“I knew they were hiding something, the fiends,” Regina said, taking a sip. “What did they do?”

“That ‘they’ includes your son, by the way.”

“ _Our_ son dear.”

“Nope, when he plays the villain, he’s all yours Regina.”

The brunette stood off from the railing she’d been leaning on and turned. “What on _earth_ are you talking about Emma?”

“The Christmas Fix was several layers deep… they should’ve hired Robert Redford and Paul Newman and made a movie about it,” said Emma sardonically, taking a sip from her own champagne and smiling at the New Year’s fireworks over the harbor. “The kid was in on it.”

“You’re kidding me…”

“Not even a little bit. Got fifty bucks out of Snow if I’m reading it right.”

“Fifty dollars?”

“Yep.”

“From his grandmother…”

“Yep.”

Regina thought about that for a moment and leaned forward on the railing again, sidling up to Emma a little bit - it was cold out here by the ocean. Emma lifted an arm and kindly wrapped it around her shoulders. “That makes some sense actually, when I think about some of the things he said to me earlier this month,” she said.

“Mmm,” Emma hummed in agreement, knocking back a little more champagne. “Trust me, a _LOT_ of little things are starting to make sense as I put the pieces together. I will unravel this, and expose them for the vile criminals they are, Madam Mayor. You have my word.”

“Can I trust you to be impartial, Sheriff? Are you sure I shouldn’t put someone else in charge of the investigation?”

“We can’t trust anybody else, Regina… none of them.” She glanced around shiftily. “They could be watching us right now!… it’s not safe… I should get you _out of here!_ ”

Regina laughed. A full, deep-down-in-her-core laugh. Emma thought it was the best thing she had ever heard in her life, and she was pretty sure she was going to try as hard as she could, to get Regina to laugh that way as often as she could, for as long as she could.

“I have a confession to make, Sheriff," said Regina, leaning over to place a kiss on Emma's cheek. "I love you.”

“I love you too, Madam Mayor,” said Emma with a happy grin. She brought her lips to meet Regina's in a brief kiss. “Happy New Year, Gina.”

Gina giggled. “Happy New Year, my love.”

… and they lived happily ever after.

**THE END.**

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas y'all.  
> Hope you liked it, or at least part of it.  
> Reviews are life, so leave a comment if you're so inclined.  
> Much Love to all Swen everywhere, and sincere wishes for a Happy New Year.  
> VvLSQ,  
> W


End file.
